MY WITCH 10: Divide and Conquer
by NotQuiteNormOld
Summary: WxC AU The W.I.T.C.H. girls and Elyon go on a school skiing trip to show up Sondra, a Swiss exchange student who seems to have mesmerized all the boys at Sheffield.
1. Chapter 1

We all know that Elyon is still miffed about Matt I hope, no one gets over it that fast.

* * *

><p>Phobos breathed in the thick air of the mill room, but found it thin and crisp. "One of the villagers must know what happened to my sister twelve years ago. I hear they're hungry. Try trading flower for information."Phobos dipped his hand into the bag of flower, it was amazing that he had the power to create the illusion of it in his hand, but yet he could not force himself to feel it. He was only a ghost in the mill. In the throne room is where he truely sat, thought from a child he had quickly mastered manifestation of his image in rooms, out of mirrors. He even saw the surroundings from the point. But he couldn't feel it. He had no reason to. He felt power instead.<p>

"A-and the other problem.." Phobos smiled at his Cedric's quivering form in the corner of his sight. The Guardians. She had gotten away and that only made her more valuable. She had broken his entire force of Marchers. Phobos opened his eyes. He was back in his dark room. He sat back on his thrown as murmurers danced about him in a gossiping crowd. Each whispering the words of someone in the castle, only on his order or sight of intrusion did they all shout out in hollowy breaths and usion. He felt the sands as he fisted and threw them over the floor. Waiting for her image. "In my guise as a bookseller I c-can locate and remove them."

"You tried that. They thwartered you at every turn." Phobos did not need to see Cedric as the murmurers echoed the Lord's shallow breaths. Fear didn't suit them and he doubted it would suit Cedric. The Lord would have to go once he had what he needed. Power. Caleb had power and so did the young woman before him. She was a child when he had seen her first. Wide, shocked eyes as the murmurers moved closely around her; their vines wrapping up her arms and legs; desperately trying to intertwine her with them. To absorb every morsel of power in her being. He had assumed them starved. That was why they would even feed off such a child. Phobos would never retell his wrong to Cedric or any other below him, but he had made a mistake. She was as his brother was. Caleb was strong, and so was she. "Strength isn't enough. You must attack when they are vulnerable. Seperated from the one with the red hair."

"Yesss, my Lord." Phobos detested the hiss in Cedrics voice. It didn't matter if he was human or beast.

**...**

"Our own Mt. Heatherfield. Site of this weekend's ski trip, sits atop a volcano that's been dormant for years and years, and.." A teacher Will still could not name droned on as she fiddled with her hands, entwining fingers. She felt as though someone was looking at her, and in the one class Will shared with the older year, Will knew exactly where to look.

Will turned back after studying Matt Olsen's steadily increasingly pink cheeks as the boy looked forward at the board, reciving a slap on the shoulder from the blonde guy behind him who was grinning at Will. She threw a rubber with practiced ease onto Cornelia's desk, gaining her attention, and leaning in to whisper, "I think Matt likes me."

Cornelia's eyebrows shot up and before looking back to Will she glanced behind the redhead to a frowning Elyon who was trying not to show that she was listening, "Well, what makes you think that?"

"He's not looking at me!" Cornelia sighed, knowing Elyon had, probably smugly, done the same. Will had heard from Irma that Elyon had had a crush on him. She'd heard from Elyon that he was all hers, but Will couldn't pretend not to be a little afraid of actually going for it with the boy.

**...**

The bell for lunch rang out after what seemed like an eternity and Hay Lin beamed at the girls picking at their food around her."Oh, you guys don't know what you're missing! I hear the food at the ski chalet tastes better than this!"

Taranee gave her a look that Hay Lin probably should have found offensive. "Hay Lin, the table we're eating off of tastes better than this."

"Weren't we supposed to get that new student from Switzerland today?" Will straightened her back, glancing at the surrounding faces.

Elyon shrugged, raising an eyebrow as Will strained to look around the room, "Maybe she's here and we didn't notice."

Even Hay Lin dropped her fork, looking at the guys in the room as they began drooling, Uriah Dunn's table making a particular racket of wolf whistles. Taranee shook her head, "No...my guess is, that's her."

The girl was stunning. Hay Lin had never thought strawberry-blonde was particularly to her fancy on any gender (Uriah was her only real comparison), but this girl's hair shone. If Hay Lin had ever thought she'd seen a girl Cornelia Hale would envy, it was the girl strolling into the cafeteria. One glance at the blonde confirmed her thoughts. Martin, who had sidled next to Irma, practically jumped from his chair. Hay Lin smiled at her shocked friend, "Good news! I think he's over you!"


	2. Chapter 2

Cornelia had lost her followers.

Irma's photograph had been replaced in Martin's locker.

Girls had lost their boyfriends.

Sondra was devious.

"Her sweater was made from _'Cas'mere, from under ze chin of my Grandmother'z goats in ze alpz'_." Hay Lin mimicked Sondra's accent, fuming at her showy-offy attitude.

Cornelia grimaced at the sound, even, of the mimick, "No, way, is that a real accent."

"Yeah, I bet she just watched like twenty Heidi movies before she came her!" Elyon sank further, leaning her chin on her first.

"Well, excuse me for not reading 'War and Peace' in _'ze original Russian'_! I'd like to feed her the book in _'ze original Russian'_!" Taranee didn't mind the boys. She didn't mind the clothes. But the books? It was personal.

"And Martin didn't even serenade me last night with his banjo! He was busy baking _'Welcome Sondra' _cookies." Irma didn't like Martin, but she didn't mind the constant reminder of how wonderful she was at times, and with this woman taking the little attention she got away, she was not happy.

"Dude, did you hear Sondra's going skiing?"

"Awesome! 'Scuse me, guys!"

Cornelia stood up. "Guys? Do we _look_ like 'guys'?" The boys who had walked by glanced back and shrugged.

It was Will's turn to stand, and Elyon looked up. Matt came out of a nearby classroom and Will smiled, but it quickly vanished as Sondra followed. She stared daggers at the decending backs. "Ladies, we're going on the ski trip!"

Hay Lin smiled, "Uh, Will, you don't even like skiing!"

"I found something else I dislike more."

**...**

"I can't believe we're all going!" Cedric handed the blonde her change with a flirtatious smile that seemed to have made her a regular customer with her friend. He wouldn't have noticed her had she not mysteriously disappeared along with her four friends in the isle of the inversion point. He certainly had had his suspicions.

The friend smiled, twiddling with the end of one of her straw-like plaits, "This should be interesting, Will says she can barely toboggan without falling over!" He knew of Will. The pair had often mentioned the 'redhaired mess'. That had been his confirmation of who she was.

**...**

Caleb scratched his head as Cornelia held up the ski poles and frowned. "Um, if you're holding one in each hand, how do you fix your hair?"

He shook his head, bemused, "So, you don't like skiing."

"Right."

Caleb glance at Will, who sat beside him as the others rifled through boxes of hats and winterwear. "And you don't like this girl."

"Right."

"So you're going skiing...with this girl?"

A resounding, "Right!"

He grabbed a wooden ski, swinging it up from one end, not noticing as Will dodged the other, he tested their mobility by tensing the wood and curving it, "These would make fine longbows." He smiled as Will tried to maintain composure beside them, finding her expression more humorous than whatever she was laughing at. He watched her bite her lip to stop from laughing when he continued, "Instead you're gonna stand on them and fall down the outside of a volcano."

Irma sat, straddling the back of the chair, she crossed her arms over the wood. "It's a little something called 'fun'."

Will grinned, "Don't be too hard on him, Irma." Caleb nodded slightly, appreciating her scolding of the water guardian. Her next words came slow and menacing, "He doesn't have fun in Meridian."

Caleb turned back to her, fuming, "I know what fun is! I have it all the time!"

"Oh, really? So what do you do to get down and get crazy?" He didn't turn his scorned expression from Will as Gaea spoke, "Plan a military attack in a red nose and clown shoes?" Cornelia pulled a hat down over his head, and he scowled at her, pulling it off and then throwing the cat-shaped peice at the sweetly smiling Will as she feigned innocence.


	3. Chapter 3

Cornelia had brought a suitcase bigger than herself and was mercilessly tugging at it when it slipped over Taranee's foot, causing the dark girl to hiss in silent agony. Cornelia looked up, "Uh, sorry."

Irma pulled her own smaller bag over her shoulder and grinned maliciously, "What, did you stash Caleb in there?" It was clear that she took great pride in the glare Cornelia replied with and Taranee quirked a skeptical brow as Irma went in for more, "Oh, wait, I forgot. You have your tanning booth in there right?"

"Irma.. Please do not make us listen to a hundred and one vanity jokes." Will groaned at the thought.

"I am not vain, although I have every right to be!" Even Hay Lin raised her eyes at this, everyone except the 'modest' Cornelia exchanging looks.

Will pulled her bag closer to her, "Right.."

At that moment Taranee watched along with the others as a dazzling young girl swayed backwards toward the bus, smiling flirtatiously, "Merci beaucoup, mes petits garçons!" She drawled as a herd of boys drew forth several large bags. They couldn't all be hers. Stealing a glance at her most fashionable friend, Taranee saw surprise even on Cornelia's face. Then anger. Lot's of anger.

Cornelia seemed to channel that anger, and with new strength heaved forward, throwing the suitcase into the bus, "C'mon ladies, let's go get our 'petits garçons' back."

Taranee climbed aboard, halting and craning her neck to see that Will had caused the hold up, her eyes on Matt Olsen as she sat alone and stared glumly out the window.

**...**

Cedric watched from above as the girls clambered clumsily into the bus, waiting until it had started before he transformed and followed behind. He'd personally thought it'd be a better use of his time to take Caleb while the guardians were gone, but not only did Caleb recognize him, he'd also received clear instructions from Prince Phobos. If he took Caleb, there was no guarantee of the redhead following behind. Apparently Phobos thought that the opposite was true if the girl was taken. So now he slithered along the slope above the road on which the coach traveled. He'd always loved the snow after all.

**...**

Caleb knew it had been a joke. They had only been joking. But they had been right. Will had been right. He wasn't really a 'fun' person he guessed. He'd only ever really joked with Aldarn when they were alone as anyone else might condemn him for it. Accuse him of not taking the war seriously. Or worse; accusing him of being on Phobos side. Too many of the rebels would jump at the chance to throw him out into the streets and move the rebellion on. So he didn't joke. And he didn't 'play' either. But something within him had wanted so bad for Will not to be pointing it out that he had had his first experience of a new sensation; defensiveness.

It would be paired with a long known competitiveness. The game he was stuck in with the generation's Keeper would continue.

"Yan Lin?"


	4. Chapter 4

Just a 'leetle' bit of fluff for Will... From two certain people...

* * *

><p>While pupils formed groups and started chattering noisily in the snow, Will patiently waited for Matt to get off the bus, well aware that Sondra was already out. She watched Martin Tubbs walk away from Irma, who looked relatively angry and wondered what the chances were that Sondra could be to blame. She didn't take much more time to mull over it though, as a certain boy stepped off the coach. "Matt! Fancy you being here! Do you ski? I mean, of course you ski! So, would you like to ski down me?" She caught herself and suddenly her face felt very hot. Matt grinned. "W-With me?"<p>

"I'd love to. With you I mean; I only ski down people I'm really close to."

She looked up at him, "Really? I mean the with me thing, I know the other part was a joke, I mean-" She sighed in defeat as he laughed, only looking through her unruly locks at him when he seemed to sober.

"Later, though. I kinda promised I'd help Sondra with her boots."

As if summoned, Sondra wiggled her way over, holding a cup of hot chocolate Will could only assume was from the flask Martin had been carrying. "Oh, 'zere you are, Matthew. Who eez your leetle friend?"

Will refused to acknowledge the girl with even a nod, "It's WILL, Sondra. We're in the same History class, Math class, Science class-"

"Well, I can't remember every face." Will felt Sondra's eyes travel up and down her body, adn Will resisted the urge to hug her arms over her small frame. "Surely you don't ski on those tiny leetle legs."

A short joke. Too far. Will could no longer be held responsible for her actions. "As surely as you can form the words to talk in that tiny little brain!"

"WHOA!"

In that second everyone had turned to look at them. Apparently they had all been eavesdropping. Will didn't dare show the embarrassment she felt as pupils judged her; Sondra faking hurt. "What are you saying?"

Will's eyes narrowed to slits. "I'm saying I can ski the homemade goat pants off of you!"

"Well, zen, we have to have a leetle race. Winner seets with Matt on ze bus ride back!"

"Fine by me."

Matt held up his hands in mock-surrender, trying to make jest out of the tension, "Uh, girls-"

"STAY OUTTA THIS!"

**...**

Blunk had been acquiring goods when he'd been thrown into the giant metal box. He clumsily climbed out into the snow after a bump journey, slipping and yelling out as he fell down the mountainside.

**...**

"Remember, children, stay on the north side of the mountain, well away from Deadman's Trail." A deafening screech carried down the mountain. Taranee, who had been lounging on the mountainside with Irma looked round at that moment, to see that Hay Lin had knocked Knickerbocker off her feet.

Taranee grinned, watching Hay Lin's decent past them; her arms and legs flailing. "I admire Hay Lin. She doesn't care about boys, or what people think of her-" She squinted down at Hay Lin, who was still out of control. "-or if she ever walks again."

"You know what they say," Taranee shook her head and Irma shrugged, pointing in Hay Lin's direction, "Go that way, really fast. If something gets in your way, Turn." Taranee laughed.

**...**

It had been a long day for Will. It was hard avoiding doing any skiing during a _ski_ trip. She sat back in the comfy armchair, enjoy ing the soothing crackling of the fire that accompanied it's warmth. Hay Lin burst in. "Will, I need your scarf, and your hat, and your sweater, and do you have any extra gloves?"

She put down her mug, and helped Hay Lin without question.

Will wrapped her scarf tightly around the shivering Blunk. Apparently he'd been caught in the luggage. Will could only wonder what he had been doing with the luggage in the first place. "Just keep this around your face. We don't want to start a panic. No offense."

"Need cocoa."Apparently he wasn't too cold to be choosy.

Hay Lin looked up as a car pulled up and Yan Lin climbed out. "Grandma! What are you doing here?"

"He made me drive him up to prove a silly point!" Will glanced over to see Yan Lin pointing at Caleb, smiling smugly.

"I'm no fun, huh? Well, just tell that to my skis!" Caleb held up a pair of extremely basic looking.. Planks of wood.

Will tried to keep her features in check, failing miserably, "You're kidding. They look like the deck planks from the Titanic."

"Those babies served me well back in China." Yan Lin pouted as only a child should do. Will grinned back at Caleb, but her smile softened due to an uneasy feeling she got, realizing his piercing eyes were already on her. She swallowed, looking away when she realized he had averted his gaze down to his skis with the same expression she had pinned on Matt as being a crush only the day before.. Well.. She seemed to have been wrong about Matt.. She was clearly not very good at this.. Plus, she concluded, Caleb practically hated her. It was a mutual thing.

Will quickly changed her sights to Hay Lin, who peered at the skis in Caleb's raised hand, "They looked like they served Genghis Khan back in China!"

Yan Lin shrugged, "I got new skis now! I'm gonna carve me up some powder, dudes!"

As the group headed into the chalet, a heavily blushing Will avoiding the rebel leader's ongoing gaze, not one of them heard Blunk cry out, having had seen a certain reptilian Lord behind him.


	5. Chapter 5

"So.. You know how to ski?" Will gazed into her hot chocolate. Once tantalizing her taste buds, the liquid now looked like murky mud in her cup. And yet her mouth felt so dry that she gulped it down anyway, the thick sludge Luke warm and sickly on her tongue.

"No.." She watched as Caleb swiveled his own cup so that the 'mud' would be slurping around the mug. Will felt sick. She forced a smile as he looked up at her. "But neither do you. And yet you came. For a girl."

Will held up a finger, "No, no no.. We came _because _of her. Not for her."

"Why?" Will stared at Caleb, longing to reply with her own list of questions, starting with why he was always so curious, ending with if his eyes always had to dart from one object to the next like they did, always inevitably landing on and almost scaring her. Because it did freak her out that he stared like that.

"Because she is a bad person, of whom I'd like to keep a close eye one with my bo- friend, Matt.." She almost cringed that he had reacted to that, clearly having had picked up on the 'bo-'

"And you think I'm weird."

**...**

_"Wake up."_

_"Mmmph.." Caleb grimaced at the sound of a familiar voice reverberating throughout his tired body. Something was weighing down on his chest. Trying to pull him out of his restful bliss, "Will..?" he pulled his head forward, but did not bother to open his eyes, screwing up his face even more._

_"Gee, did you make that face just for me! You should save it for Cornelia. Then again, most things you do brighten her day. Still, if one thing could change that fact, I think it'd be that face. Right there." If it wasn't so annoying he'd commend Will's ability to mix sarcasm with sincerity. "It's actually a shame that I didn't bring a camera down-"_

_"Will." The grimace on his face remained as he stopped her babbling, he mumbled unhappily, "You're in my bed.."_

_"You are observant. But actually I'm ON it." he wondered if she could actually go more than a minute without making a sarcastic comment or disagreeing with him. "Then again, I guess that's a little impressive considering your eyes are closed." At this he slit his eyes open, giving him a watery image of red blur, before he lay back on his bed._  
><em>Suddenly his eyes widened with disbelief and shock and he tried to sit up despite the excess weight on his chest, "You're in my bed!"<em>

_"Hey! I'll spill if you-" He gave up and instead used his arms to push himself up enough to look at her._  
><em>Sure enough, Will was perched on his chest with her legs crossed in front of her. She was currently, he noticed, cradling a bowl in attempt to stop it from tipping. He raised one eyebrow at the sight of her as she relaxed and rested the bowl on her legs. Taking hold of the spoon, she scooped up some yellowish cereal nuggets. Very familiar looking nuggets.<em>

_"Hey! That's mine! If you want to eat, have some of Hay Lin's cereal! It was her sleepover! Why aren't you with the girls anyway!"_

_Will gave him a broad smile, "But I like your cereal. And they're all sleeping."_

_"What do you think I was doing!" His attention was then caught by his stomach. He eyed the spoon as she brought it once again to her lips, unsure what exactly was causing him to salivate. "I-is there any more?"_

_Large, guilty, cinnamon eyes looked past messy, red hair, the spoon handle hanging from her closed mouth. She pulled out the spoon warily and spoke apologetically, "Uh.. Just what's in my bowl. Sorry."_

_"Damn." Caleb let his head drop back into the pillow. This day couldn't get a worse start._

_"Here." Caleb looked up to see Will pointing a spoonful of cereal in the direction of his mouth. He looked from the spoon to her wide, sparkly eyes._

_"Erm.. I'm alright actually." he said, a little stunned by her offering._

_"No, you wanted this and I took it without asking."_

_Caleb opened his mouth to disagree when he felt the cold spoon slide gracefully into his mouth. He complied, sealing his lips over the spoon, then she slowly pulled the metal away, leaving only the sugary nuggets in his mouth._

_She'd obviously given him the last of the cereal as she then leaned over the side of his high-bed and place the bowl carefully on the top step of his ladder. It was when she sat back on slightly closer to his legs that his eye's widened._  
><em>He coughed and some milk drizzled down his left cheek and chin in two clear lines. "It's morning." Caleb stated dumbly as he blushed heavily.<em>

_"You've got milk on your face." He nodded and moved his hand to wipe it away, but was stopped by the redhead lightly grabbing his wrist. He questioningly looked into her eyes, which were staring back at him calmly. She leaned towards him to wipe it off with the sleeve of her shirt. "That's better." she smiled._

_He felt her breath on his face for a few seconds before she began to pull back, but it was too late. It only took him one split second to flip over with her beneath him. She barely had time to gasp before he was crushing his mouth against hers. Precious minutes were spent with the two of them there, Caleb fumbling clumsily with her shirt's buttons. He was on the last two buttons, just below where her stomach stopped. He had found that she was wearing a crop-vest under the shirt long ago. As he moved his fingers over that last button she leaned forward and clung to him, with one arm around his neck, gazing behind him with wide frantic eyes._

_"Caleb," She breathed somberly, "Thi-this shirt." Caleb nodded in acknowledgment, "It's Matt's."_

_He knew that it was her way of reminding him that she was out of bounds. Her way of telling him to stop. But it didn't matter._

_"I don't care!" he growled hungrily as the last button popped and he plunged into her; kissing her stomach and dragging his teeth against her soft, porcelain skin. "Will.."_

_Suddenly he felt her writhing beneath him. She let out a scream, tugging before she suddenly squirmed beneath him, sending him off the side of the bed, crashing onto the floor.._

..._  
><em>

"Hey, wow, you fell right off the bed!" Hay Lin's voice rang out as realization coursed through him. He was in a chalet. On a mountainside. And Will.. He maneuvered his face, which was currently crushed against the ground to gaze up at Hay Lin, with Will giving him a sideways glance from behind her.. Hay Lin jabbed his bare shoulder, "Hey, you okay?"

Suddenly sensations flowed through his body and he realized that there was a strong pain in a rather 'delicate' place. He knew he was freaking them out, but he began shaking, breathing erratically, "Vgeíte! Get out!" He wheezed. What was happening.. Had it been real? But it couldn't have been.. What had he been doing anyway.. "Skatá , eímai pethaínoun í ó, ti!" He pulled himself up, unsure of what to do..

* * *

><p><strong>Vgeíte<strong> - Get out

**Skatá, eímai pethaínoun í ó, ti **- Shit, am I dying or what!_  
><em>


	6. Chapter 6

There we go, Caleb's had his first dream, and it was 'exciting'.. :L I couldn't resist tbh, I mean it's only natural..

Watching witchclass101's video, does Caleb say mummerboarding or what? It does not sound like mud-boarding to me..

* * *

><p>"She's crazy to race Sondra!" Taranee and Cornelia had held their opinions until they had sought privacy on the ski lift that took them up the mountain.<p>

Taranee nodded in agreement to Cornelia's words, "And she'd said herself; she's a lousy skier!"

" That's what I said, she just was all like 'Yep, but I'm a terrific Guardian, and I am not letting her play this game with Matt any longer..' blah, blah, blah.." Irma recited Will's words and Cornelia and Taranee exchanged a glance.

Taranee frowned. "We're supposed to use our powers to fight evil, not snooty foreigners!"

Irma shrugged. "Will said Sondra was evil."

**...**

"All right, I'm ready to have fun." Irma and Cornelia watched as Caleb adjusted his goggles, and pushed himself down the slope. He began yelling as the skis fell apart, then eventually fell to the ground.

Cornelia covered her face in shame, but Irma didn't blink. "Yep. They held up better than I thought."

Another guy on a snowboard stopped in front of Caleb. "Whoa, dude! Skis are for losers! You want this!"

The guy then continued his decent, snowboarding down the hill, leaving a second snowboard beside Caleb, who looked ecstatic as the two girls slid down to him. "Ha! A mudboard! You didn't tell me it's like mudboarding!"

He clipped his shoes onto the board, sliding down the slope with practiced ease, leaving Cornelia and Irma stunned. Irma turned to Cornelia, "And Hay Lin had thought he was ill this morning..! Heh, heh.."

**...**

Cedric dragged the creature into a cave, throwing the small passling against the rocky wall. The Smuggler lookedat him, trembling in some oversized Earth ensemble. "H-Hi. L-Looking good."

Cedric didn't have time for this. He was patient usually, but the guardians were wearing him down, especially her. "Tell me about the girl with red hair!"

"Cedric mean Ethel? Sorry, she went Denmark.. Uh, loved cheese.." Cedric grabbed the creature as it tried to walk away, roaring in frustration. He would have this girl. Phobos insisted on it.

**...**

"Just fly above me, and use your power to keep me upright."

"Isn't this cheating?" Hay Lin and Will had stayed at the chalet after Caleb's shower, and quick retreat. Hay Lin still thought he had seemed ill and had verbalized that fact, but Will had assured her that she, under Taranee's advice, had helped him. What Will knew she was too young to understand is that by 'helping' him, she meant turning off the hot water during his shower. He had thanked her in a long, loud unintelligible rant of what she assumed were curses, but Taranee had been very clear about her brother's first 'look'. Something Will was not thankful for, and by the way she had scrunched up her face, neither was Taranee.

"I hope so. Because there's no way I'm gonna beat her fair and square." She got out the Heart of Kandrakar, whispering to it softly, "This may not seem noble, but you don't know her."

**...**

Blunk was wrapped in the tail of the giant shape-shifter Cedric and was being interrogated when the two girls flew from the girls' chalet. Blunk gulped. It wouldn't end well for girlies by the look on Cedric's face. "It seems I don't need your information after all.."**  
><strong>

****...****

"Where's your foolish leetle friend?" Sondra got into position, smiling at Matt mercilessly.

Caleb flew down the slope, skidding and causing snow to fly onto Cornelia, Taranee and Irma. "Where'd he learn to do that?"

"Mudboarding. You do it on mudslides."

Caleb had decided not to ask about what had happened. If he was hallucinating then it probably wasn't a good idea to advertise that fact, and if whoever he told asked what he'd seen.. Well what was he meant to say? He wasn't entirely sure what he'd seen. Or felt. Or why. But hallucination or not, Will had been scared. He'd been on her lips again. And he was sure that was a kiss. He swallowed, desperately trying to recall the texture. He only remembered that he had liked how they had felt. A lot.

Yan Lin came over, frowning, "Will can't ski. How can she win a race? And where's Hay Lin?"

Caleb strained to see as Will trudged over to the top of the slope, wearing an oddly familiar pair of tights.. She couldn't be.. He saw her look at a girl, but couldn't hear what she said from as far away as he was. "I'm ready! What's the course?"

"You lead, I follow, until right before ze finish." Caleb didn't see Hay Lin fly high in the clouds overhead of the starting line, giving Will the thumbs-up.

Caleb squinted as a boy he could only assume was the infamous 'Matt' glanced down the large mountainside, he couldn't hear him, but 'Matt' didn't exactly look pleased. "You don't have to have this stupid race! I'll sit with both of you on the bus!"

Will ignored him and the other girl turned, snapping something. Caleb couldn't quite see the 'connection' Hay Lin was always discussing on the phone. She wasn't even looking at him. "Just say go!"

"Go." Caleb scratched his head as Will took off, screaming, followed by Sondra. He was pretty sure that Will was doomed.

At that point, something intervened. He was sure that Will wasn't even on the ground.. The girl behind sped up. After some way down the slope, Will seemed to lose her balance once again. Caleb watched as she headed for the trees, Cornelia gasped, "What is she doing!"

"AAGH!" Will headed straight into the banned area named 'Deadman's Trail' and the girl slid to a stop, staring after her.

"Sondra, don't follow her!" Caleb turned, but couldn't tell who had shouted. Was the trail dangerous? The girl, 'Sondra' took off. "Oh, no!"


	7. Chapter 7

Cedric sneered at the group of people watching after the keeper. "No need for unnecessary witnessessss.." He slammed his tail into the snow, causing masses of it to tumble down toward the group. He didn't bother waiting for the screams.

**...**

"Will, I can't see you!" Hay Lin tried to control Will, but the trees and greenery were proving a nuisance and Will continued falling down the hils, barely missing the trees.

"AAAGH!" Sondra flew past her, skiing around the trunks with skill.

Will fell off her skis and slid to a stop. Hay Lin landed beside her, "Will, I'm sorry! Are you all right? There was this cute bunny, and this big and mean fox-" Cedric chose that moment to protrude from the snow before them. "But not that big and mean."

**...**

Blunk threw a rock at the wall in frustration, muttering about 'Blunk not scared of snake! Snake scared of Blunk', when the wall crumbled where he had thrown the rock. Things were looking up.

**...**

"I can melt a little more snow, but, without Will transforming me, it's never gonna be enough to get us out!" Taranee used all of her strength to summon the match-worthy flame at the tip of her fingers, knowing it was useless. She looked apologetically to the shivering Cornelia.

**...**

"Make it wider!" Yan Lin watched the conversation as Caleb growled. "We have to help Wi-" Caleb cut himself short and Yan Lin's eyes narrowed, "W.i.t.c.h., we have to help the rest of W.i.t.c.h.!"

Irma glared at him, "I can't! Without transforming, my power isn't strong enough!"

**...**

Cedric Smashed his tail between the two guardians, who leapt away, parted. He had only the two least powerful before him. One powerless, and the other could only do so much with wind. "It s as he said. Apart you are weaker. The marchers were a fluke."

Lord Cedric did not miss the questioning look on the air guardian's face. So the leader wasn't only keeping the Heart, but secrets too. He wondered if her new ally knew of the marchers.

**...**

Blunk dug his way from the cave to a familiar scent of girls. Cornelia and Taranee looked up at Blunk as he emerged, "Blunk here. Got food?"

"Where were you?"

Blunk grinned, "Big snake trap Blunk!" Blunk did his very best re-acting of the event, "_'GRR! Tell about Girls!', 'Noo!'_, _'Then trap Blunk in... Cave!_' Dig! Dig!"

"But this is solid rock!"

"Dig! Dig! _Crust! _Dig! Dig!"

The blonde gasped. "It's the volcano! They have side vents, tunnels to the surface!" She turned to Blunk. "Find Irma and the others!"

**...**

Caleb whacked desperately at the snow with Yan Lin's skis, then turned to Irma in frustration, "Don't you have any secret spells or snow-melting potions?"

"We're. Not. Witches. It's just our initials!"

Blunk showed up, poking his head through the snow, "DIG! DIG! DIG!"

Taranee pushed Blunk out of the way and looked in at the trio. "Everyone all right?"

**...**

Hay Lin slammed, back into a tree, and Will took a running jump, wrapping her arms around Lord Cedric's neck. He howled and pulled her off and Will was thrown down beside Hay Lin, her head hitting the icy snow hard.

**...**

"Stand on my skis and don't forget to turn when I turn!" Caleb had already taken off by the time Irma clambered onto her skis, Taranee timidly following.

"I can't! I'll fall off!" As soon as her arms were clinging to Irma, Irma took off with a yelling Taranee as Cornelia got onto her own skis.

"Well if you do.. Roll to where Will is!"


	8. Chapter 8

Will released a blinding light from the Heart of Candracar, and Hay Lin hit Cedric in the face with an airbound spinning bat Hay Lin away and Will caught the girl in her arms. At that moment, the other Guardians flew over them on skis, and Will yelled out, "GUARDIANS, UNITE!"

The girls transformed, flying forward as their skis fell to the ground. Will looked up, hearing a battle cry as Caleb slid up the tail of Cedric, using the snake as a ramp as he flipped, landing with the board dug in the ground beside him. Will shook her head, flying up toward him. What a show off.

The guardians landed, dotted around Caleb and Taranee turned to Irma, "Irma, let's give snake-boy a cold shower!" Will grinned nervously at that, shooting a look at Caleb, but he didn't react. Taranee melted the snow around Cedric and Irma doused the snake-Lord in it. Hay Lin sent a small hurricane to surround Cedric and Cornelia used vines to grab him while all of them surrounded him. Will, along with the others, caught a vine and held him up. "Nice net. Do you do hammocks?"

Cornelia looked at the snake, disgusted. "Well, now what do we do with him?"

Irma grinned mischievously, "I vote we put her in Sondra's luggage." Will's laughter was cut short as Cedric roared and thriving, he snapped the vines holding her, and took off.

**...**

Cedric dropped to the snowy ground and glared behind him. There he was, only metres away. "Caleb." Cedric growled as the guardians landed around the murmur boy, the redhead at his side. He hissed and dived into the snow, ignoring the taunting of the water guardian which followed, "That's right! Hssss! Get your stinkin' butt outta here!"

**...**

"OW! Careful, you dupes! That hurts!" Everyone gasped and muttered at Sondra's strong American accent.

Will grinned, leaning down in Sondra's face "Hmm.. Your ankle's only sprained, but I think your accent's broken!"

"Dry clean only! Grandma's goat hair, huh?" Hay Lin tugged at the girl's jumper label and Taranee smiled.

"Yeah, we should get you to the bolʹnitsa."

Sondra only glared daggers at them, "And what does that mean?"

"Hospital!" Taranee said, matter of factly, "You said you spoke Russian. Oh, and by the way, no cashmere goats in Switzerland. Unless you're from the Himalayas as well?"

"Oh, who cares! As soon as I reach my parents, I'm switching schools anyway!"

Matt turned to Will, grinning. "The front of the bus, or the back?"

Will laughed and they began departing along with most of the other students. Sondra cried out desperately, "So I don't have some dumb accent! So what!"

Elyon only rolled her eyes at her, "What a total loser!"

"No duh! Pretending to be Ms. Fascinating Swiss Person!" Elyon and Cornelia left.

Irma turned back and grimaced, her hands planted on her hips. "WEREN'T YOU LISTENING! SHE'S A FAKE!"

Martin and several others remained around her, "Yet her face and shiny, lustrous hair are also real!"

**...**

"No new portals." Will shook her head at Caleb, the sounds of the girls and Yan Lin seeping into the shared room where they both sat on the floor, the map spread out in front of them, several beds surrounding.

Caleb shook his head, his fingers sweeping over the dry paper. "That means he didn't return to Meridian."

"So, where _did_ he go?"


End file.
